With MU move, Border War nearing ceasefire

Emotions will be raw when Kansas and Missouri meet three weeks from now at Arrowhead Stadium, perhaps for the final time as football rivals.

This much is certain: The Nov. 26 Border War will be the last time KU and Missouri clash as conference opponents in football, barring another seismic shift in the conference landscape. The Tigers will join the Southeastern Conference next season, a long-expected move that finally became official Sunday morning.

"We're sorry to see a century-old conference rivalry end," KU chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said. "Missouri's decision may have implications for fans and for the Kansas City area, but it won't affect the long-term strength of the Big 12."

Missouri officials have expressed a desire to continue playing KU as a nonconference opponent, and athletic director Mike Alden said the school maintains a "tremendous amount of respect for the University of Kansas" while speaking at a news conference to announce MU's move.

KU AD Sheahon Zenger wished Missouri well in the SEC but has given no indication KU wants to continue scheduling the Tigers. A more pointed jab came from a university Twitter account, which posted the following message Sunday: "Missouri forfeits a century-old rivalry. We win."

Missouri has been affiliated with the Big 12 or its forerunners since 1907,when the Tigers joined the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Chuck Neinas, the Big 12's interim commissioner, suggested the Tigers may regret departing from that history.

"I personally believe this decision is a mistake and that Missouri is a better fit in the Big 12," Neinas said in a statement. "Once we have received a formal notice of withdrawal from Missouri, we will furnish it to our board of directors. The board will review the situation and take appropriate action."

Stability is the factor the Tigers have cited in joining the SEC, which added former Big 12 member Texas A&M earlier this year. The SEC plans to compete with 14 schools, with Missouri in the East Division along with Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

“The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri,” Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton said. “In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success."

The Big 12 made a pre-emptive move to fill Missouri's spot by inviting West Virginia on Oct. 28. The Mountaineers are locked in a legal battle with the Big East to determine whether they can join the Big 12 beginning next season.